Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The present invention generally relates to control pedals for a motor vehicle and, more particularly, to control pedals which can be selectively adjusted to desired positions.
Control pedals are typically provided in a motor vehicle, such as an automobile, which are foot operated by the driver. Separate control pedals are provided for operating brakes and an engine throttle. When the motor vehicle has a manual transmission, a third control pedal is provided for operating a transmission clutch. A front seat of the motor vehicle is typically mounted on tracks so that the seat is forwardly and rearwardly adjustable along the tracks to a plurality of positions so that the driver can adjust the front seat to the most advantageous position for working the control pedals.
This adjustment method of moving the front seat along the tracks generally fills the need to accommodate drivers of various size, but it raises several concerns. First, this adjustment method still may not accommodate all drivers due to very wide differences in anatomical dimensions of drivers. Second, the position of the seat may be uncomfortable for some drivers. Therefore, it is desirable to have an additional or alternate adjustment method to accommodate drivers of various size.
Many proposals have been made to selectively adjust the position of the control pedals relative to the steering wheel and the front seat in order to accommodate drivers of various size. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,632,183, 5,697,260, 5,722,302, 5,819,593, 5,937,707, and 5,964,125, the disclosures of which are expressly incorporated herein in their entirety by reference, each disclose an adjustable control pedal assembly. The control pedal assembly includes a hollow guide tube, a rotatable screw shaft co-axially extending within the guide tube, a nut in threaded engagement with the screw shaft and slidable within the guide tube, and a control pedal rigidly connected to the nut. The control pedal is moved forward and rearward when an electric motor rotates the screw shaft to translate the nut along the screw shaft within the guide tube. A potentiometer is provided at the motor which sends signals to a CPU regarding motor shaft position for determining the position of the nut. A flexible shaft connects the screw shafts of the accelerator and brake pedals so that a single motor operates both pedals. While this control pedal assembly may adequately adjust the position of the control pedal to accommodate drivers of various size, this control pedal may be prone to undetected failures, unreliable, noisy, and expensive to produce. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an adjustable control pedal assembly which selectively adjusts the position of the pedal to accommodate drivers of various size, is relatively simple and inexpensive to produce, and/or is highly reliable with relatively low noise in operation.
The present invention provides an adjustable control pedal assembly and a method of operating an adjustable control pedal assembly which overcomes at least some of the above-noted problems of the related art. According to the present invention, a control pedal assembly includes, in combination, a first control pedal including a first pedal adjustable in a fore-aft direction upon operation of a first motor and a second control pedal including a second pedal adjustable in a fore-aft direction upon operation of a second motor. The first pedal and the second pedal have a predetermined fore-aft relationship. A controller is operably connected to the first motor and the second motor. The controller is programmed to operate the first and second motors to simultaneously move the first and second pedals in the fore-aft direction and to reestablish the predetermined relationship if the predetermined fore-aft relationship is not maintained as a result of the movement of the first and second control pedals.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a method of operating a control pedal assembly comprising the steps of, in combination, providing a first adjustable control pedal including a first pedal adjustable in a fore-aft direction upon operation of a first motor and providing a second adjustable control pedal including a second pedal adjustable in a fore-aft direction upon operation of a second motor. A predetermined fore-aft relationship is provided between the first pedal and the second pedal. The first and second pedals are simultaneously moved in the fore aft direction. The predetermined fore-aft relationship is reestablished if the predetermined fore-aft relationship is not maintained as a result of the step of simultaneously moving the first and second control pedals in the fore-aft direction.
From the foregoing disclosure and the following more detailed description of various preferred embodiments it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention provides a significant advance in the technology and art of control pedal assemblies. Particularly significant in this regard is the potential the invention affords for providing a high quality, feature-rich, low cost assembly. Additional features and advantages of various preferred embodiments will be better understood in view of the detailed description provided below.